The Villages Hospital

[Howlett1269]

My daughter was brought into the emergency room by the EMT;s on Tuesday
October 1 @ 10:10AM she was seen and was told to return to the waiting room at 10:40AM. As of 3:30PM she was still sitting in the waiting room. At 8:00PM she was still not seen and no one came out to even checked to see why she was there that long. She finally left at 8PM and went to Leesburg Hospital where she was seen within 1/2 hour and was diagnose with a possible mini stroke and vertigo. We as a family will never again use the Villages Hospital.

[Blessed2BNTV]

I too had a similar situation this past April. I was told after waiting almost 12 hours I should stay overnight...I left and went back to Atlanta to see my doctor.

Not a fan of TV ER.

[KeepingItReal]

My daughter was brought into the emergency room by the EMT;s on Tuesday
October 1 @ 10:10AM she was seen and was told to return to the waiting room at 10:40AM. As of 3:30PM she was still sitting in the waiting room. At 8:00PM she was still not seen and no one came out to even checked to see why she was there that long. She finally left at 8PM and went to Leesburg Hospital where she was seen within 1/2 hour and was diagnose with a possible mini stroke and vertigo. We as a family will never again use the Villages Hospital.

Wife had a similar experience in November 2011 with a kidney stone. Haven't gone back but had hoped things were better now as some have had better luck.
Some have said they have so many patients is the reason but this was not the case the night we waited for so long.
Hard to figure as the Leesburg Hospital and the Villages Hospital are both part of the Central Florida Health Alliance.
Guess right now Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala would be our direction to go in an emergency.

[MoeVonB61]

Did any of you happen to ask your Villages Sales person how many beds the Villages Hospital has relative to the Villages population????? 228 Beds for almost 100,000 Seniors.......Not even a half of a percent.....I asked this question during our Sales Tour Bus Ride and knew right away they would change the subject as soon as possible!!

[Shirleevee]

I too had a similar situation this past April. I was told after waiting almost 12 hours I should stay overnight...I left and went back to Atlanta to see my doctor.

Not a fan of TV ER.

Geez.........we must be the lucky family.........3 times in ER and 2 times seen and admitted within an hour. Just this past Sunday, my husband was triaged and admitted within 1 1/2.hrs........in NY he'd still be in a hallway!

[Whalen]

Geez.........we must be the lucky family.........3 times in ER and 2 times seen and admitted within an hour. Just this past Sunday, my husband was triaged and admitted within 1 1/2.hrs........in NY he'd still be in a hallway!

Us too, no complaints.

[gomoho]

My daughter was brought into the emergency room by the EMT;s on Tuesday
October 1 @ 10:10AM she was seen and was told to return to the waiting room at 10:40AM. As of 3:30PM she was still sitting in the waiting room. At 8:00PM she was still not seen and no one came out to even checked to see why she was there that long. She finally left at 8PM and went to Leesburg Hospital where she was seen within 1/2 hour and was diagnose with a possible mini stroke and vertigo. We as a family will never again use the Villages Hospital.

That is inexcusable, but I'm wondering did you inquire as to why she wasn't being helped and if so what was their answer. I would have made my presence known to the point they would treat my loved one just to shut me up. Does she have a local doctor and did you contact him/her?

[StarbuckSammy]

Disgraceful. Did you ask the folks at the ER what in the world was going on?

[Indydealmaker]

Geez.........we must be the lucky family.........3 times in ER and 2 times seen and admitted within an hour. Just this past Sunday, my husband was triaged and admitted within 1 1/2.hrs........in NY he'd still be in a hallway!

Sometimes good and sometimes bad is as bad as always bad.

[ilovetv]

Did any of you happen to ask your Villages Sales person how many beds the Villages Hospital has relative to the Villages population????? 228 Beds for almost 100,000 Seniors.......Not even a half of a percent.....I asked this question during our Sales Tour Bus Ride and knew right away they would change the subject as soon as possible!!

Until people understand that a hospital cannot operate financially with 85% of the revenue stream being Medicare's low and shrinking reimbursement rates that cannot pay the bills there, and that the amount seniors pay in premium for their supplemental coverage doesn't do it either, nothing will change there.

And then there is administration, that needs to be cleaned out from the top downward and start over. But they're not going to fire themselves.

[Bonny]

Howlett1269 did ask what was taking so long and asked where his daughter was on the list and at one point they said she was next. More hours went by and they still had not seen her.

[Carl in Tampa]

As a walk-in patient to TV Hospital ER with excruciating back pain which was not being relieved by oxycontin I was forced to wait for several hours to be seen although there were only 3 other people in the waiting room. My pain was so great that I couldn't sit and standing was so painful that as I stood leaning on my cane there were tears flowing down my cheeks.

Once I got in to see the doctor, relief came fairly quickly after an x-ray disclosed a major spinal injury.

My next visit, in an ambulance, got fairly quick treatment. It was a life threatening emergency.

I've been admitted twice and the nurses were quite good.

I came away from my last admission with the best cardiologist and pulmonoligist I could hope for as my new physicians in these specialties.

[Shirleevee]

Sometimes good and sometimes bad is as bad as always bad.

It was NEVER bad, just a longer wait!

[Shirleevee]

That is inexcusable, but I'm wondering did you inquire as to why she wasn't being helped and if so what was their answer. I would have made my presence known to the point they would treat my loved one just to shut me up. Does she have a local doctor and did you contact him/her?

Complain to the hospital administrator!

[Sage327]

My daughter was brought into the emergency room by the EMT;s on Tuesday
October 1 @ 10:10AM she was seen and was told to return to the waiting room at 10:40AM. As of 3:30PM she was still sitting in the waiting room. At 8:00PM she was still not seen and no one came out to even checked to see why she was there that long. She finally left at 8PM and went to Leesburg Hospital where she was seen within 1/2 hour and was diagnose with a possible mini stroke and vertigo. We as a family will never again use the Villages Hospital.

I was in TV Hospital this past July and had quite a different experience. I went to the ER at 7 pm after feeling disoriented from excessive sun exposure from working in the garden. Within 10 min I was called in, my blood pressure taken which was over 200, and I was having trouble answering basic questions. I was sent out to waiting room and in 15 min I was taken back in for a Cat scan of my head, an EKG and chest X-ray. I was then placed in a holding area and was told I was staying over night for observation. I was in my hospital room around 12 and was immediately attended to. I was in a beautiful, clean room, and the Aides couldn't do enough for me, even running the bathroom water to make sure it was warm enough for me to bathe. The next day as I was waiting to be discharged, an Aide coming on duty, came into my room and wanted to know if he could get my husband and I anything while we were waiting. My symptoms were serious enough to alert the staff that I was close to having a stroke and they reacted promptly and in a professional manner. I have nothing but good things to say about this Hospital and I am sorry that you had a bad experience and hope your daughter is ok.

[red tail]

does anyone know if these times are accurate
Central Florida Hospitals | Leesburg Regional | Villages Hospital | Central Florida Health Alliance (http://www.cfhalliance.org/index.html)

[Indydealmaker]

It was NEVER bad, just a longer wait!

Everything is relative. I, for one, will not tolerate paying for a whole and getting a half.

Only a short while ago, this hospital made a really big deal about dramatically shortening the wait time until a patient was seen. Smoke and mirrors! It does not count as an improvement if you are "seen", then parked back in the waiting room for hours upon hours with zero communication.

Budget constraints are not the cause of these kinds of problems. Management deficiencies are implicated.

After having run several businesses, I know for a fact that you can do ANYTHING if you just decide that you are going to accept nothing less than success. Once you make that decision, it is absolutely magical how barriers seem to fade.

[SALYBOW]

Actually, they fired 9 admins when I was there.

[keithwand]

My wife just had her hip replaced at The Villages hospital last Monday and I can't say enough about how impressed we are. They kept us informed before, during and after surgery. The joint group on floor 5 are the best. Even the food wasn't bad for a hospital and the rooms are private.
Dr Grey performed the surgery and was also wonderful. No bruising and she is walking around the house with her walker without hip pain.
The ER might be different but don't cast the whole hospital as not good. We are lucky to have them.

[gomoho]

I was in TV Hospital this past July and had quite a different experience. I went to the ER at 7 pm after feeling disoriented from excessive sun exposure from working in the garden. Within 10 min I was called in, my blood pressure taken which was over 200, and I was having trouble answering basic questions. I was sent out to waiting room and in 15 min I was taken back in for a Cat scan of my head, an EKG and chest X-ray. I was then placed in a holding area and was told I was staying over night for observation. I was in my hospital room around 12 and was immediately attended to. I was in a beautiful, clean room, and the Aides couldn't do enough for me, even running the bathroom water to make sure it was warm enough for me to bathe. The next day as I was waiting to be discharged, an Aide coming on duty, came into my room and wanted to know if he could get my husband and I anything while we were waiting. My symptoms were serious enough to alert the staff that I was close to having a stroke and they reacted promptly and in a professional manner. I have nothing but good things to say about this Hospital and I am sorry that you had a bad experience and hope your daughter is ok.

I was really liking what you were saying until you told me they sent you out to the waiting room with a bp over 200 and unable to answer basic questions. Wonder what could have happened in those 15 minutes in the waiting room - so glad it was nothing, but if that isn't a crises I don't know what is!!!

[dillywho]

Wife had a similar experience in November 2011 with a kidney stone. Haven't gone back but had hoped things were better now as some have had better luck.
Some have said they have so many patients is the reason but this was not the case the night we waited for so long.
Hard to figure as the Leesburg Hospital and the Villages Hospital are both part of the Central Florida Health Alliance.
Guess right now Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala would be our direction to go in an emergency.

My husband would not have survived his first heart attack had he been transported to either Ocala or Leesburg. Fortunately, he was already in TVRH when he had his second one this year.

[Suzi]

Until people understand that a hospital cannot operate financially with 85% of the revenue stream being Medicare's low and shrinking reimbursement rates that cannot pay the bills there, and that the amount seniors pay in premium for their supplemental coverage doesn't do it either, nothing will change there.

And then there is administration, that needs to be cleaned out from the top downward and start over. But they're not going to fire themselves.

I'm sorry ilovetv, but there is NO excuse for lack of empathy on the part of the staff/nurse(s). It takes 2 minutes to to talk to someone in the ED waiting to be seen. I agree with lack of $$$ and administration but no excuse for common courtesy.

[Russ_Boston]

My daughter was brought into the emergency room by the EMT;s on Tuesday
October 1 @ 10:10AM she was seen and was told to return to the waiting room at 10:40AM. As of 3:30PM she was still sitting in the waiting room. At 8:00PM she was still not seen and no one came out to even checked to see why she was there that long. She finally left at 8PM and went to Leesburg Hospital where she was seen within 1/2 hour and was diagnose with a possible mini stroke and vertigo. We as a family will never again use the Villages Hospital.

Curious - was a CT scan done at either hospital? Even if they had diagnosed the condition as minor they should at least keep you informed.

[Russ_Boston]

Budget constraints are not the cause of these kinds of problems. Management deficiencies are implicated.

After having run several businesses, I know for a fact that you can do ANYTHING if you just decide that you are going to accept nothing less than success. Once you make that decision, it is absolutely magical how barriers seem to fade.

Steve - were any of those business successes you had in the medical field relying on almost 90% of your revenue from the government? I worked in private business for 30 years and now for 2 years at TVRH. The two worlds are not even CLOSE! You might have to walk in their shoes to understand fully. Hospitals run through administrators and management like water through a faucet.

[Justjac]

does anyone know if these times are accurate
Central Florida Hospitals | Leesburg Regional | Villages Hospital | Central Florida Health Alliance (http://www.cfhalliance.org/index.html)
Because of a bad experience I had at TV hospital, following a 12-hour wait n the ER several months ago, we were also curious about the "estimated" waiting time. Yesterday, my husband continually logged on to this site throughout the day and it consistently reported there was only a 54 minute wait.

Have yet to meet anyone who waited less than an hour in the ER... Am hard-pressed to believe this is accurate.

[ilovetv]

I'm sorry ilovetv, but there is NO excuse for lack of empathy on the part of the staff/nurse(s). It takes 2 minutes to to talk to someone in the ED waiting to be seen. I agree with lack of $$$ and administration but no excuse for common courtesy.

I didn't make any excuses for the "lack of empathy on the part of the staff/nurses"!!

There is a long thread here from June, 2013, about how nurses at both TVRH and Leesburg have been subjected to reductions to staffing, seniority, choice of shifts, etc. that have led to experienced, knowing nurses being fed up and quitting and going elsewhere in search of working conditions that are more conducive to patient safety.

See:

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/dont-like-tvrh-er-now-its-going-get-much-much-worse-79757/

[Russ_Boston]

There is a long thread here from June, 2013, about how nurses at both TVRH and Leesburg have been subjected to reductions to staffing, seniority, choice of shifts, etc. that have led to experienced, knowing nurses being fed up and quitting and going elsewhere in search of working conditions that are more conducive to patient safety.


Been there 2 years and don't know one nurse that left for patient safety reasons. Many nurses come and go but that's no different than anywhere. Many are still with the hospital but on different units or different shifts. As far as I know our nurse to patient ratio is on par with most hospitals in the U.S. (i.e. med/surg 5 or 6 to 1; icu 2:1 etc.)

PS> Just re-read every post in that thread you linked. Most of it was pathetic overstatements with very little fact behind it. There was almost no mention of people leaving TVRH or Leesburg for patient safety reasons. Let's also remember that TVRH is part of CFHA and is not run or operated by the Morse family. We are growing by about 100 beds (including 27 in the ED) over the next two years. Funding is getting squeezed by Medicare (our main source) but I'm sure it's the same everywhere.

[graciegirl]

I know that Russ Boston is a diligent and ethical man and I would have to think he knows of what he speaks. He hasn't in six years ever led us astray on this forum.

[Easyrider]

Seems most of the problems are with people going to the emergency room ...waiting 12 hours in an emergency room seems to be a real stretch for the imagination......

[Russ_Boston]

I know that Russ Boston is a diligent and ethical man and I would have to think he knows of what he speaks. He hasn't in six years ever led us astray on this forum.

Thanks Gracie - Is TVRH perfect? heck no! My (everyone's) main goal is always patient safety. Our scores in that aspect are very good. Patients don't like the food but that's another story:)

I was recently given the task of being one of the charge nurses for the medical floor (2nd floor) and one of the things we do every day is call patients who were discharged. The vast majority of them are complimentary of the care they received. Do some complain? Of course but if I call 20 people a day I'll bet I get no more than 2 minor complaints and we make every effort to work on those issues and get better.

[Easyrider]

Been there 2 years and don't know one nurse that left for patient safety reasons. Many nurses come and go but that's no different than anywhere. Many are still with the hospital but on different units or different shifts. As far as I know our nurse to patient ratio is on par with most hospitals in the U.S. (i.e. med/surg 5 or 6 to 1; icu 2:1 etc.)

PS> Just re-read every post in that thread you linked. Most of it was pathetic overstatements with very little fact behind it. There was almost no mention of people leaving TVRH or Leesburg for patient safety reasons. Let's also remember that TVRH is part of CFHA and is not run or operated by the Morse family. We are growing by about 100 beds (including 27 in the ED) over the next two years. Funding is getting squeezed by Medicare (our main source) but I'm sure it's the same everywhere.
_________________


Actually I was leaning a little bit your way until I saw the statement highlighted/underlined above..

What proof do you have that this was the case? Saying they were pathetic overstatements sounds pretty defensive especially if you don't work the emergency room. Does every nurse receive information on everything that goes on in the entire hospital?

[KeepingItReal]

My husband would not have survived his first heart attack had he been transported to either Ocala or Leesburg. Fortunately, he was already in TVRH when he had his second one this year.

Not sure how you could possibly know that he would not have survived his first heart attack on the way to Ocala or Leesburg but I do know if he had had to wait as long as we did he could have been in Atlanta or even beyond.....Glad he made it OK.

[blueash]

Curious and seeking data from those who claim that a hospital cannot survive when the overwhelming number of their patients are medicare. From what I am lead to believe, perhaps wrongly, TVRH has almost zero non-paying patients while most other hospitals have huge numbers of them. They also have almost no Medicaid patients, and Medicaid pays significantly lower than Medicare for the same service. So if TVRH does not have either of these two major financial sinkholes, I would have thought that having nearly all your patients paying rates very similar to those commercial carriers provide would be wholly sufficient.

[Shirleevee]

Thanks Gracie - Is TVRH perfect? heck no! My (everyone's) main goal is always patient safety. Our scores in that aspect are very good. Patients don't like the food but that's another story:)

I was recently given the task of being one of the charge nurses for the medical floor (2nd floor) and one of the things we do every day is call patients who were discharged. The vast majority of them are complimentary of the care they received. Do some complain? Of course but if I call 20 people a day I'll bet I get no more than 2 minor complaints and we make every effort to work on those issues and get better.

In the past three years I would consider my husband to be a frequent flyer at TVRH....Angiograms (2); Stent: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm surgery; Heart arrhythmia.......and we would rate all the visits and stays as excellent. The nurses and doctors are so much more than what we read and hear from others. As former NY'ers, we are used to great care and TVRH compares!

[KeepingItReal]

Until people understand that a hospital cannot operate financially with 85% of the revenue stream being Medicare's low and shrinking reimbursement rates that cannot pay the bills there, and that the amount seniors pay in premium for their supplemental coverage doesn't do it either, nothing will change there.



Medicare is a problem and will soon be a larger one. But....we are not on Medicare yet and...

For one visit which turned into about 8+ hours we were billed over $12,000.00 and over $5,000.00 was for a single MRI so I don't see how much more we could have been charged to make them profitable. The remainder of the $7,000.00 charges was unbelievable. Got one injection and nothing else but we got bills from numerous doctors that not even the hospital (TVRH) office could tell us who they were when we went to pay the bill. Said we would have to call Leesburg??? I cannot imagine what the bills submitted to Medicare must look like...

[Shirleevee]

Thanks Gracie - Is TVRH perfect? heck no! My (everyone's) main goal is always patient safety. Our scores in that aspect are very good. Patients don't like the food but that's another story:)

I was recently given the task of being one of the charge nurses for the medical floor (2nd floor) and one of the things we do every day is call patients who were discharged. The vast majority of them are complimentary of the care they received. Do some complain? Of course but if I call 20 people a day I'll bet I get no more than 2 minor complaints and we make every effort to work on those issues and get better.

Russ,

Do you know the triage protocol for TVRH..? I worked in Mental Health and seem to remember that the ER evaluated patients based on the severity of their illness.......I know that last Sunday, my husband had chest pain and was seen in 5 minutes.

[ilovetv]

Curious and seeking data from those who claim that a hospital cannot survive when the overwhelming number of their patients are medicare. From what I am lead to believe, perhaps wrongly, TVRH has almost zero non-paying patients while most other hospitals have huge numbers of them. They also have almost no Medicaid patients, and Medicaid pays significantly lower than Medicare for the same service. So if TVRH does not have either of these two major financial sinkholes, I would have thought that having nearly all your patients paying rates very similar to those commercial carriers provide would be wholly sufficient.

What you say seems correct, but I think it leaves out a key factor at TVRH in particular because of the disproportionately high number of patients who are on Medicare and are chronically ill in their last two years of life--the time in life when a patient's care produces the highest Medicare expenditures:

Medicare spending per patient during the last two years of life

Overall, the average spending per chronically ill Medicare patient in the last two years of life increased 15.2 percent from $60,694 in 2007 to $69,947 in 2010.

In 2010, spending rates per Medicare beneficiary varied from a high of $112,263 in Los Angeles, Calif., to a low of $46,563 in Minot, N.D.From 2007 to 2010, Bloomington, Ill., was the only region in the nation showing a decrease in spending, as spending per Medicare patient decreased from $57,802 in 2007 to $53,674 in 2010....

Patients seeing 10 or more doctors during the last six months of life

Overall, chronically ill patients were significantly more likely to be treated by 10 or more doctors in the last six months of life in 2010 than they were in 2007, as the national rate increased from 36.1 percent to 42 percent.

In 2010, patients in East Long Island, N.Y. received the most intensive care by this measure, with 62.3 percent of patients seeing 10 or more doctors in the last six months of life.

Other regions with high rates included Ridgewood, N.J. (62.1%) and Royal Oak, Mich. (60.2%). Regions with low rates included Idaho Falls, Idaho (14.5%), Grand Junction, Colo. (17.7%), and Missoula, Mont. (18.2%). Only seven regions decreased in this measure from 2007 to 2010, including Neenah, Wis. (from 25.2 percent in 2007 to 21.4 percent in 2010) and Santa Cruz, Calif. (from 31.8 percent in 2007 to 28.9 percent in 2010).

- See more at: The Dartmouth Institute » Barbara A. Koll, MS (http://tdi.dartmouth.edu/press/press-releases/medicare-spending-and-care-intensity-at-the-end-of-life-increases#sthash.Waq3wZDH.dpuf)

Another illustration:

Why 5% of Patients Create 50% of Health Care Costs

While there are various ways to reduce the costs of health care, this fact (Cohen & Yu, 2012 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) should make you stop in your tracks: most business people have an 80/20 rule they apply in a variety of settings (20% of your customers generate 80% of your volume, etc.). This rule tells us that an enormous amount of the health system cost is centered in a very concentrated group of people. Who are they, why are they so expensive, and can we address this relatively small population to the benefit of the whole?

This is when the discussions about courage and character by lawmakers, practitioners and patients moves front and center. These patients tend to be newborns with serious issues and the elderly, who are often quite ill. According to one study (Banarto, McClellan, Kagy and Garber, 2004), 30% of all Medicare expenditures are attributed to the 5% of beneficiaries that die each year, with 1/3 of that cost occurring in the last month of life......

Why 5% of Patients Create 50% of Health Care Costs - Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelbell/2013/01/10/why-5-of-patients-create-50-of-health-care-costs/)




And meanwhile, Medicare underpays compared to costs of providing the care. I think the high concentration of aged, chronically ill Medicare patients in their last two years of life hits TVRH extremely hard, financially.

[Russ_Boston]

Yes we do have about 87% Medicare payments BUT the other 13% are almost all non-pays. Very seldom do we get an under 65 year old who has private insurance. Not sure how that ranks with other hospitals but I know it is a drag on our revenue.

[dillywho]

Not sure how you could possibly know that he would not have survived his first heart attack on the way to Ocala or Leesburg but I do know if he had had to wait as long as we did he could have been in Atlanta or even beyond.....Glad he made it OK.

He was in the throes of his attack when the paramedics arrived. I guess the fact that the cardiac cath lab team and the cardiologist were called in before he was transported and he was taken immediately into the lab is my basis. He had his stent in place in less time than it would have taken to arrive in either Ocala or Leesburg.

Do I know for certain that he wouldn't have made it going further away? No. I'm just not willing to chance it, though.

[graciegirl]

They are building an addition to the hospital as we discuss this. At this very moment.

Now if only we could get some really good medical staff to want to hang out here in central Florida and live with a lot of old-er people.

[NotGolfer]

Over the years and several moves I've heard the stories about the "local" hospital. Some very negative and some glowing. ER's always triage patients according to severity of the issue. What we would deem to be "horrible" and "needs" to have immediate attention--they may not, due to their protocols. Have you all heard the ad on the radio re: the hospital's Urgent Care across 441 from the hospital?? They even have a shuttle across to the hospital (according to the ad) for transport. Some folks will go to the ER for their issues when in fact they probably should go to the Urgent Care (it can be any of them in the area). IF you think it's a 'life-threatening' issue---call 911.

My experience with the ER and TVH is exemplary care. So from reading the many posts on this thread I would say it's a matter of perception in some cases.

[Madelaine Amee]

They are building an addition to the hospital as we discuss this. At this very moment.

Now if only we could get some really good medical staff to want to hang out here in central Florida and live with a lot of old-er people.

That's a rather "blanket" statement, care to tell us exactly what you mean by "really good medical staff". I've been here 8 years and we have had excellent care, both in TV Hospital and in Ocala Hospitals - did not care for Leesburg, but the staff were very kind and thoughtful, and excellent surgical care at Mayo. Our only real complaint is the food - it is awful everywhere you go. One of my husband's doctors told me to bring him in fruit and yogurt! Right now I am getting ready to go into TV Hospital for elective, but necessary, surgery and I'm hoping Russ Boston is going to keep an eye on me!:smiley:

I do think we have many physicians working the medicare system with too many tests, but that is up to the patient to refuse them.

[jojo]

To add to the anecdotal records - we recently had a positive experience at TVRH in the emergency room. The patient was taken in immediately - within 5 minutes of arrival. She had several tests done within a 2-hour span and the results were available within 30 minutes. The emergency room doctor called her physician as he was making the diagnosis and determining treatment. From the time of arrival to release with tests (CAT Scan, EKG, blood work etc.) was 4 hours. I was kept informed. The emergency room was not busy when we arrived at 8:00 in the morning but was overflowing when we left late morning.

[rn1tv]

Russ, I must speak up and say I am one of the nurses who left due to safety issues among others I know that have left. Management does not give a damn about nurses or the nurse to patient ratio on the floor which includes patient safety. It's all about the almighty dollar! They would rather push out the older, more experienced nurses (who mentored the new grads) for the cheaper salary they have to pay. In the years I was there (many more than you have been there), I begged for them to look at acuity when making assignments but it was ignored. You got no support from your charge nurse, only your coworkers who, too, were overwhelmed. And, God forbid, you did not leave on time; your file was documented!
You may have worked as a charge nurse on 2nd, but my experience was the "charge nurses" were given those positions because they were "yes" people in management's eyes but had/have no nursing skills to work on the floor. People with AD's are in management positions??? Where I worked prior to TVRH, a BSN and Master's in Nursing was required to be a manager or, as TVRH calls it "a director." At TVRH, if you are a "yes" person, you only need an AD with no requirement to pursue additional education. And their clinical ladder is nothing more than a joke! It's not about skill, education, and expertise but what you can do for TVRH.
I see you defend TVRH yet you are willing to explore other opportunities at other locations when suggested by others on this website; interesting!

[Russ_Boston]

Russ, I must speak up and say I am one of the nurses who left due to safety issues among others I know that have left. Management does not give a damn about nurses or the nurse to patient ratio on the floor which includes patient safety. It's all about the almighty dollar! They would rather push out the older, more experienced nurses (who mentored the new grads) for the cheaper salary they have to pay. In the years I was there (many more than you have been there), I begged for them to look at acuity when making assignments but it was ignored. You got no support from your charge nurse, only your coworkers who, too, were overwhelmed. And, God forbid, you did not leave on time; your file was documented!
You may have worked as a charge nurse on 2nd, but my experience was the "charge nurses" were given those positions because they were "yes" people in management's eyes but had/have no nursing skills to work on the floor. People with AD's are in management positions??? Where I worked prior to TVRH, a BSN and Master's in Nursing was required to be a manager or, as TVRH calls it "a director." At TVRH, if you are a "yes" person, you only need an AD with no requirement to pursue additional education. And their clinical ladder is nothing more than a joke! It's not about skill, education, and expertise but what you can do for TVRH.
I see you defend TVRH yet you are willing to explore other opportunities at other locations when suggested by others on this website; interesting!

Take them one at a time in no particular order:

1. Explore other possibilities: Any employee is crazy not to look into opportunities that can advance their career and move them towards their eventual goals. I have left a couple of great companies in my previous career when the opportunity was right. For now I enjoy TVRH.

2. Patient to nurse ratio: I know the ratios have not changed on the medical floor (6 to 1); or IMCU (4 to 1); or ICU (2 to 1) since I have been there. Sometimes they are less but never more.

3. Experienced nurses: On the medical floor we have at least a dozen nurses with over 10 years of experience. All four of the full time charge nurses have over 25 years of floor experience each! I am the exception but I am relief charge (weekend - holiday - vacation cover etc.). But I do have prior management experience from a previous profession (IT). I still work on the floor and I still have lots of nursing skills to learn. To my knowledge not one single nurse has been "pushed out" as you mentioned. At least not on the 2nd floor.

4. Education: You are correct on the education front. A lot of AD in nursing degrees. There are many other second career folks like myself that have a BS in something else from back in the day and then an AD in nursing. I am pursing a BSN in the event that I decide on a management track (not sure yet). Our Director does have a BSN but not a masters degree like would be required in many other places.

5. Patient acuity: There are times when it gets skewed. If I have a few rooms to pick from I will try to balance out the room assignments. But there are times when I only have 1 room open and the patient needs it. Should we move patients? Perhaps, but then patient satisfaction is affected. When I'm the charge nurse it is my responsibility to help the nurse who may be overwhelmed. Many times the 'perceived' acuity level is determined by the experience of the nurse. This is something that needs to be addressed more closely as you mentioned. I will try to do this better on the days when I'm charge.

Respectfully,
Russ

[Karron]

My daughter was brought into the emergency room by the EMT;s on Tuesday
October 1 @ 10:10AM she was seen and was told to return to the waiting room at 10:40AM. As of 3:30PM she was still sitting in the waiting room. At 8:00PM she was still not seen and no one came out to even checked to see why she was there that long. She finally left at 8PM and went to Leesburg Hospital where she was seen within 1/2 hour and was diagnose with a possible mini stroke and vertigo. We as a family will never again use the Villages Hospital.
I had the same experience.....
I arrived by ambulance (^ B\P, headache, vertigo & vomiting)...
I never saw a MD...
A PA saw me...( the nurses kept saying "the doctor wil see you before MRI is ordered!)
My own doctor was out of town....
I stayed overnight and saw a neuro doctor (who only worked at the hospital ) who told me, "I'm surprised they admitted you!
He told me I was not sick enough.....
After writing for my discharge, the Nuse, (actually a LPN) was so overwhelmed she never came into the (over 8 hours) so...I just left with my sister...
I worked as a RN (Magnet Status) for 35 years and all I can say is, Shame on you!:swear::swear:

[Russ_Boston]

I had the same experience.....
I arrived by ambulance (^ B\P, headache, vertigo & vomiting)...
I never saw a MD...
A PA saw me...( the nurses kept saying "the doctor wil see you before MRI is ordered!)
My own doctor was out of town....
I stayed overnight and saw a neuro doctor (who only worked at the hospital ) who told me, "I'm surprised they admitted you!
He told me I was not sick enough.....
After writing for my discharge, the Nuse, (actually a LPN) was so overwhelmed she never came into the (over 8 hours) so...I just left with my sister...
I worked as a RN (Magnet Status) for 35 years and all I can say is, Shame on you!:swear::swear:

First you say you were admitted? If so then the neuro doctor can not write the discharge (no exceptions to this rule). It has to be the admitting doctor. So I'm pretty sure that what happened is that the neurologist cleared you but you needed to wait until the attending doc (a hospitalist in this case since your doc either doesn't have privileges or was not available as you mentioned) wrote the d/c orders.

Second an ER doc has to be the one to write the admit to floor order. There is always an ER doc - always. Again no exceptions.

If you were on the floor (which floor?) and a nurse did not see you for 8 hours then you should have brought this to someone's attention. Did you do that? And if so what was their response?

I hate to sound defensive but since I do this for a living at TVRH I need to point out inconsistencies in these posts that I know can not happen.

I'm sorry you felt mistreated but some of the things you are saying are from your point of view only and I know some are not accurate as I pointed out.

[ilovetv]

"the Nurse, (actually a LPN) was so overwhelmed she never came into the (over 8 hours) so...I just left with my sister..."r

First you say you were admitted? If so then the neuro doctor can not write the discharge (no exceptions to this rule). It has to be the admitting doctor. So I'm pretty sure that what happened is that the neurologist cleared you but you needed to wait until the attending doc (a hospitalist in this case since your doc either doesn't have privileges or was not available as you mentioned) wrote the d/c orders.

Second an ER doc has to be the one to write the admit to floor order. There is always an ER doc - always. Again no exceptions.

If you were on the floor (which floor?) and a nurse did not see you for 8 hours then you should have brought this to someone's attention. Did you do that? And if so what was their response?

I hate to sound defensive but since I do this for a living at TVRH I need to point out inconsistencies in these posts that I know can not happen.

I'm sorry you felt mistreated but some of the things you are saying are from your point of view only and I know some are not accurate as I pointed out.

When a person is sick and weakened and has not been able to eat properly because of high BP, vertigo, vomiting, pain, dizziness etc......

...Just who in the heck is the patient supposed to contact when nobody bothers to come into the patient's room for HOURS?????

Is the patient supposed to contact the same nurse/lpn who doesn't bother to come back in to even see if you're gone yet, so that at minimum, the room could be used for some other poor soul who's waited in the ER for a bed upstairs for 18 hours and has now had a full blown stroke because the cheaper, new grad nurses in ER were up to their eyeballs in alligators??

Blaming a sick patient for the nursing administrators allowing inept, apathetic or even lazy employees to continue putting in their time and getting a check for it is part of the problem, not the solution!

[Karron]

I would like to see the admission orders, as well as the discharge orders... When I say I saw NO One....that's exaactly what I meant!
If a hospitalist saw me.... He/she was a ghost!
Yes, a "manager" came in to ask about my care.....I told her.....she left, not to be seen again!
I would like to know the RN to patient ratio....she couldn't tell me!
Since my hospital was designated a Magnet Status facility, I think I know what what happened (or not), to me......

[Karron]

No one heard my IV when it was finished at MN ant beeped until the next day when I dc'd it...
Are you sure you are working at the same hospital?

[OldManTime]

My daughter was brought into the emergency room by the EMT;s on Tuesday
October 1 @ 10:10AM she was seen and was told to return to the waiting room at 10:40AM. As of 3:30PM she was still sitting in the waiting room. At 8:00PM she was still not seen and no one came out to even checked to see why she was there that long. She finally left at 8PM and went to Leesburg Hospital where she was seen within 1/2 hour and was diagnose with a possible mini stroke and vertigo. We as a family will never again use the Villages Hospital.

I will rather die than be treated at the Villages Hospital. I went there last Thursday night with a 102 temperature after a day of receiving Chemo at the VA hospital, my request only was please notify the VA so the VA benefits would pay for my treatment, I was told i needed to be admitted for overnight, and I said i had another round of Chemo in the morning at the VA Hospital, the response was "Sorry we can't help you"
9 years ago they did not notify the VA when i was admitted there, and had to pay for a weeks treatment out of pocket, which took 5 years to pay off.
Never again, Never again, go to Leesburg or Ocala hospitals.
:spoken:

[LuckySevens]

As a walk-in patient to TV Hospital ER with excruciating back pain which was not being relieved by oxycontin I was forced to wait for several hours to be seen although there were only 3 other people in the waiting room. My pain was so great that I couldn't sit and standing was so painful that as I stood leaning on my cane there were tears flowing down my cheeks.

Once I got in to see the doctor, relief came fairly quickly after an x-ray disclosed a major spinal injury.

My next visit, in an ambulance, got fairly quick treatment. It was a life threatening emergency.

I've been admitted twice and the nurses were quite good.

I came away from my last admission with the best cardiologist and pulmonoligist I could hope for as my new physicians in these specialties.

I sent you a PM

[Russ_Boston]

I would like to see the admission orders, as well as the discharge orders... When I say I saw NO One....that's exaactly what I meant!
If a hospitality saw me.... He/she was a ghost!
Yes, a "manager" came in to ask about my care.....I told her.....she left, not to be seen again!
I would like to know the RN to patient ratio....she couldn't tell me!
Since my hospital was designated a Magnet Status facility, I think I know what what happened (or not), to me......


I think I asked this before but what floor was it? It should have been 2nd floor medical. The charge nurse knows the ratio. I told you in a previous post it is 6 to 1 on the medical floor. No more - sometimes less.

If I was the nurse or the charge nurse and you asked about the discharge or admit orders I would have (and do all the time) shown you and explained them to you.

Please let me know where you were and I can look back and help you if you PM the info to me.

[Russ_Boston]

I will rather die than be treated at the Villages Hospital. I went there last Thursday night with a 102 temperature after a day of receiving Chemo at the VA hospital, my request only was please notify the VA so the VA benefits would pay for my treatment, I was told i needed to be admitted for overnight, and I said i had another round of Chemo in the morning at the VA Hospital, the response was "Sorry we can't help you"
9 years ago they did not notify the VA when i was admitted there, and had to pay for a weeks treatment out of pocket, which took 5 years to pay off.
Never again, Never again, go to Leesburg or Ocala hospitals.
:spoken:

All you have to do is tell VA you were there and they can pull the records. We do it all the time. Who told you that? PM the details to me and I can look into it. We have a release of records form that the patient signs and we can fax to any facility. We do it everyday.

You say Leesburg but it is the same facility as TVRH. Central Florida Health Alliance.

[Russ_Boston]

When a person is sick and weakened and has not been able to eat properly because of high BP, vertigo, vomiting, pain, dizziness etc......

...Just who in the heck is the patient supposed to contact when nobody bothers to come into the patient's room for HOURS?????

Is the patient supposed to contact the same nurse/lpn who doesn't bother to come back in to even see if you're gone yet, so that at minimum, the room could be used for some other poor soul who's waited in the ER for a bed upstairs for 18 hours and has now had a full blown stroke because the cheaper, new grad nurses in ER were up to their eyeballs in alligators??

Blaming a sick patient for the nursing administrators allowing inept, apathetic or even lazy employees to continue putting in their time and getting a check for it is part of the problem, not the solution!

Easy answer: Call the charge nurse from your bedside phone. The number is written on every white board in every room.

This is what I meant about false info. You are quoting this person as if she/he is completely telling the truth. That is why I pointed out errors in what they said. I'm not saying that they are lying but since the said at least two things that could never happen then I question everything. Don't you?

BTW: Our ER nurses are not new grads. In fact we don't allow nurses in the ER until they have had about 2 years experience elsewhere. Again this is the truth but you can ignore the facts if you wish.

[Russ_Boston]

I'm not going to directly reply to any more posts on this thread.

But I can tell you for a fact, because I do it every workday as both a floor nurse and a charge nurse, that many of the statements made on this thread are completely inaccurate when it comes to facts.

If anyone has a direct question about the facts please PM me and I'll let you know our polices at least on the 2nd floor (general medical).

[KeepingItReal]

I'm not going to directly reply to any more posts on this thread.

But I can tell you for a fact, because I do it every workday as both a floor nurse and a charge nurse, that many of the statements made on this thread are completely inaccurate when it comes to facts.




Customer service is only as good as each customer considers it to be and health care is no exception. I do know our scenario played out exactly as it was described and it was not pretty.

It doesn't matter that any business continues to tell themselves what a great job they are doing for their customers and they followed all the rules if customers are not happy. If the customers do not agree soon there will not be any customers to worry about.

Apparently some customers do not agree TVRH service is great even though some did have a good experience but it shouldn't depend on the luck of the draw to be treated for a medical condition. Another poster was right on Sometimes good and sometimes bad is as bad as always bad.

After 35 plus years in management for a major public utility where I dealt with residential and business customers of all sizes daily I do know I never once told a customer what they were saying did not happen and it would have been a serious problem for anyone that did..

When customer's relate their concerns they are very real to them and a business has to listen and at least be compassionate even if they do nothing more, unless they really don't care.

[Karron]

I think I asked this before but what floor was it? It should have been 2nd floor medical. The charge nurse knows the ratio. I told you in a previous post it is 6 to 1 on the medical floor. No more - sometimes less.

If I was the nurse or the charge nurse and you asked about the discharge or admit orders I would have (and do all the time) shown you and explained them to you.

Please let me know where you were and I can look back and help you if you PM the info to me.

Russ, I was on the 2nd floor...
Does the hospital call all LPN's Aides & RN's "nurses"....
Confusing....

[steamdogman]

How about we give The Villages Hospital a break. If you have been there, you will understand that the ER is no different than any other in this Country. Unless you go there by ambulance you are going to wait. Remember one thing, there are around 90-100k people living here, one hospital serving a lot of seniors with emergency problems.

[rn1tv]

I know Russ Boston will not respond as he indicated in a previous post, but I must respond to his response to me.
1. Russ, if you were completely happy in your current position, there would be no need to look elsewhere.
2. There is NEVER a break in patient assignment. If patient load drops, nurses are sent home and patients are reassigned to other nurses. I have had this happen 1 hour be change of shift. Again, it's all about the almighty dollar as expressed by CN's.
3. Ten with 10 years of experience...am I supposed to be impressed? Don't tell me about the CN experience as they are not on the floor and providing direct patient care. I, too, have done charge and have many more years of experience.
4. FYI, I have my BSN and worked at a Magnet hospital. Comparing policies, procedures, staffing, education, diversity, etc. to CFHA; there is no comparison.
5.You state that there are times it "gets skewed," you do not have to move patients; simply make assignments based on acuity. So a nurse has to walk a few extra feet, patient safety should be the issue.
I believe many of these responders have valid complaints. Bedside nursing and patient care are things of the past which is sad!

[Karron]

I just obtained my records....
I did not see any of the 3 doctors who signed orders and history!!
Charting was minimal.....
No surprise!!

[ilovetv]

I just obtained my records....
I did not see any of the 3 doctors who signed orders and history!!
Charting was minimal.....
No surprise!!

But my bet is, the billing was done fast and as heftily as possible.

[Karron]

But my bet is, the billing was done fast and as heftily as possible.

Probably!

[westcoastsunshine]

My husband just spent 2 weeks on the 3rd floor in ICU hospitalized with
Severe pneumonia.

I have only good things to say about the overall care.
The nurses and doctors were all very compassionate.
Yes, there was a slight wait for a bed while we were
In emergency.

Most nurses even asked if they could get me a coffee
Probably because the stress was written all over my face.
There was a beautiful sunroom where I could go when
I needed a break.

Btw, during various times throughout the day I noticed
A couple of times a completely empty emergency room
Or at most perhaps 10 people waiting. I was in awe as I
Am so used to seeing crowded emergency waiting rooms
And even patients on stretchers in hallways because no
Rooms are available.

I was very impressed with our Villages Hospital.

WCS

[rubicon]

After reviewing the contradictory perceptions here I suspect the Rashomon Effect has taken over.

I was sold on the Munroe System because of the manner in which they cared for my brother. I have utilized only physicians and hospital associated with them and have not been disappointed.

[Russ_Boston]

After reviewing the contradictory perceptions here I suspect the Rashomon Effect has taken over.

I was sold on the Munroe System because of the manner in which they cared for my brother. I have utilized only physicians and hospital associated with them and have not been disappointed.

I'll admit I had to look that one up. I guess I'm more educated today than yesterday:) Thanks.

But the bottom line is that if you have a good experience you are more likely to use that business again. That's just common sense.

[champion6]

There is one more "factor" that I have observed, in other words, this is just my opinion: "Medical care is alway better 'somewhere else.'" This is the perception that the best hospital or the best specialist that you need are not those available locally, but rather those that require you to travel a greater distance to obtain their services. This is akin the the adage: "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence."

[onslowe]

What Rubicon wrote is true, I believe. No one can deny another's bad experience nor someone else's good experience at any hospital. All that can be added, perhaps, is maybe a list of mitigating factors ( overcrowding in the ER on one particular night etc.) Doesn't change a bad experience nor probably justify most of them.

From my own experience, both times I've needed TVRH's ER I was very well and very promptly attended to - once even when it was crowded.

This summer, I had by-pass surgery in Leesburg Hospital. The cardiac care unit was fantastic. I had subsequent need for its ER and I would not wish my experience on my worst enemy. I not only caught a crowded night but a somewhat cavalier doctor.

I then, later this summer, spent 14 days in TVRH for an intestinal problem and that was via the ER. My care from the doctors to the nurses (including Russ here) and the aides was equal and at times far better than I experienced at NYU Medical in NYC or at Long Island hospitals.

Again, my experience. I have a set of doctors I consider to be highly professional, knowledgeable and caring and they are all connected to TVRH.

[ronsroni]

can you say attorney? If she stroked, there likely would have been a stroke buster given IV in an effort to curb the event. I am not a litigious person but THIS screams SUE ME. justsayin

[Russ_Boston]

can you say attorney? If she stroked, there likely would have been a stroke buster given IV in an effort to curb the event. I am not a litigious person but THIS screams SUE ME. justsayin

1. Only a ischemic stroke (blockage of blood to the brain) would receive tPa (the drug not mentioned).

2. A ct (cat scan) needs to be done to prove bleed vs. blockage.

3. tPa can only be given within the first 3 hours of an event to be of any use.


Just wanted to mention these 3 things (to be accurate). Justsayin!

[lance.boyle]

Regardless of the issues discussed above..just wait 'til the Non-Affordable Care Act kicks in for sure and see how your medical services are affected. From hospitals to docs I am certain it is a disaster in the making.

[TheCollierCpl]

... And this is before Obama Care cuts the $800 bil from Medicare! Good reason for the Marcus Welby plan. We've used concierge medicine for ten years now, one big benefit besides docs cell phoe, if you need emergency service, they call ahead and are ready for you.